Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
The great Arthur Ashe once said:
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.”
No pressure.
No pretending.
Just presence.
And that feels like the perfect doorway into Proverbs 1:7:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
REFRAMING “FEAR”
That phrase, “fear of the Lord,” can sound intense if we let it.
But what if fear here isn’t terror…
what if it’s recognition?
To fear God is to recognize God.
To acknowledge reality as it truly is.
Now here’s the image that grabbed me.
In math, the beginning isn’t always just the first number.
Sometimes the beginning is the exponent.
The exponent doesn’t add.
It multiplies.
Same numbers.
Same equation.
But once the exponent is applied, everything changes.
Ignore it, and the equation might look fine…
but the answer is wrong.
So what if Proverbs is saying this:
RECOGNIZING GOD IS THE EXPONENT OF WISDOM.
You can gain information.
You can collect insight.
You can stack experiences.
But without recognition, wisdom never scales.
And Proverbs is clear.
Fools don’t lack data, they despise instruction.
They refuse the exponent.
They want outcomes without alignment.
Growth without grounding.
Answers without acknowledgment.
ENCOURAGEMENT
So on this first day of the year, let’s do the math.
Start where you are.
But start by recognizing God.
Acknowledge God in your planning.
Invite God into your decisions.
Let reverence quietly multiply what you’re already doing.
Same life as yesterday.
Same tools as last month.
But a different level of power.
Why?
Because exponential growth doesn’t come from more effort,
it comes from proper alignment.
REMEMBER
Wisdom doesn’t grow by addition alone,
it grows by recognition.
Prayer
God, I start here; multiply my wisdom beyond mere accumulation.
Today’s Challenge
Before your first major decision today, pause for five seconds.
Take one breath.
Acknowledge God out loud or in silence.
Then move forward.
About the Author
Fred Lynch is a creative communicator, author, and Christian Hip Hop pioneer. To learn more about Fred and what he’s up to now…click here or you can find him in all the socials by searching the handle: heyfredlynch
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